Sport bra

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a vest for a sportswoman. The vest comprises a pocketintegrated in the back of the vest. The pocket can in particular contain a drink reservoir accessible during the practice of the sport.

The invention concerns a brassiere designed to enable a sportswoman to have a pocket with the minimum of interference during the performance of the sport.

A pocket may in fact be desirable, for example in order to contain a reservoir of drink with a capacity of 1 to 2 litres.

Devices for cyclists are known which comprise a back pocket provided with straps forming a harness passing around the shoulders (U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,833).

These devices require adjustments and pose problems of compatibility with the morphology and clothing of the sportsperson.

In addition, the passage of the straps may causes stresses under the arms and interfere with respiration, as in the case of a back pack, all the more so since the straps must be tightened in order to prevent any swaying of the pocket.

The publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,382 describes a vest which has a pocket situated at the front so as to be situated substantially between the breasts, which would obviously not make it possible to house in this pocket a drinks receptacle with a capacity of 1 to 2 litres without constituting a considerable discomfort.

The publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,178 describes a vest which comprises a pocket situated so as to be located level with one of the breasts, so that such a pocket could obviously not contain a reservoir of water of 1 to 2 litres.

The publication U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,852 describes a brassiere which has a pocket situated at the central part behind the cups: such a pocket could not contain a receptacle of liquid of 1 to 2 litres without considerable discomfort for the person equipped with the brassiere.

The object of the present invention is a device free of these drawbacks.

According to the present invention, the brassiere comprises brassiere cups and straps, comprises a back wall cooperating with the brassiere in order to constitute a vest providing good holding of the bust during the performance of the sport, and comprises a pocket able to receive a relatively flat reservoir of drink, and generally rectangular in shape and with a capacity of 1 to 2 litres, this pocket being integrated in the said back wall so that the pocket is held pressed against the back during the performance of the sport.

The pocket preferably consists of a wall attached facing an area of the back wall and fixed laterally to this wall in order to cooperate with the said area in order to constitute the said pocket.

The fixing of the attached wall is achieved by connections which make it possible or not to detach the attached wall (buttons, zip connections, connections of the Velcro™ type, stitches, bonding, etc).

The pocket is preferably rectangular or trapezoidal and is relatively flat.

The pocket can, in a variant, be independent of the vest and fixed to the back of the vest, preferably so that it is pressed against the back.

Vests intended for sportswomen, which comprise a brassiere, a back and straps, are designed in a manner known per se so as to ensure good holding of the chest during the performance of the sport and their holding means are also effective for holding the pocket incorporated in the vest.

In one important application, the pocket is able to receive a relatively flat reservoir of drink provided with means enabling the sportswoman to drink during the performance of the sport.

Use is preferably made of a reservoir of rectangular or trapezoidal shape overall with a capacity of one or two litres, for example a reservoir having a width of approximately 15-16 centimetres, a height of approximately 25 to 30 centimetres and a thickness of a few centimetres, made from flexible material, like the pockets normally used in the medical field, for example for perfusions.

In its adaptation to the invention, the drink reservoir is preferably provided with an outlet tube terminating in a mouthpiece and comprising a means of adjusting the flow of liquid.

A description will be given below of non-limiting examples of a vest/brassiere with a back pocket according to the invention with reference to the figures in the accompanying drawing, the description and the figures revealing other characteristics of the invention.

In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment where the brassiere is closed and laid flat;

FIG. 2 is a back view of the same embodiment where the brassiere is open and laid flat;

FIG. 3 is a profile view of the embodiment;

FIGS. 4 to 6 are perspective views of an embodiment equipping a sportswoman, respectively in front view, rear view and side view, and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a variant pocket.

The device depicted in FIGS. 1 to 6 is a vest (1) which comprises a brassiere (3, 3), a back (5) and straps (8, 8).

This vest is produced from an elastic textile which has been selected according to its physical properties “extensibility, tensile force, modulus”, which have been quantified and which have made it possible, using Laplace's law, to calculate the forces necessary for holding the chest whilst respecting its anatomical shape. This of course taking account of three major criteria: the thoracic circumference, the volume of the breast and the taking of its weight into account.

The vest, without reinforcement, with flat stitching and wide straps, is closed on the front by an opening closure, for example a zip (2) on tape which passes between the cups (3, 3) of the brassiere. The bottom edge (4) of the brassiere, possibly reinforced, goes round the bust and the vest has a back wall (5) over an area (5 a) of which there is attached facing and fixed laterally a wall (6), for example rectangular in shape overall, which cooperates with the area (5 a) of the facing back wall in order to constitute a pocket (P) closed at the base and on its vertical edges. This wall is preferably produced from an elastic material. This wall may comprise perforations, consist of a net, etc.

The bottom edge (6 a) of the attached wall (6) is applied and fixed against the bottom edge (4) of the vest and the side edges (6 b, 6 c) of the attached wall are applied and fixed against the back (5) of the vest. The fixings of the wall attached to the vest are permanent (for example: stitches or bonding) or temporary (for example: buttons, zip or Velcro™)

The pocket can advantageously have a gusset, as in the case of the attached wall (6) in FIG. 7.

The pocket (P) is able to receive a reservoir of drink (R) provided with an outlet tube (7) which passes over one of the straps (8, 8) of the vest under a band (10) fixed to the strap, which projects forwards and which terminates in a nozzle (11) accessible to the sportsperson, in a manner known per se.

The vest is not limited to a brassiere with a particular shape or dimensions.

The vest/brassiere with attached or integral back pocket is suitable for all types of sport (skiing, cycling, swimming, running, etc).

For comfort, an insulating sheet can be interposed between the drink reservoir and the back wall of the vest.

Provision is made, in a variant, for the pocket to be fabricated independently of the vest and attached to the back of the vest so that the pocket is carried by this back. In such an embodiment, the reservoir and pocket can possibly be merged in a unit provided with means for attaching and fixing the pocket/reservoir to the back of the vest. 

1. A brassiere for a sportswoman, having brassiere cups and straps and a back wall cooperating with the brassiere in order to constitute a vest and providing good holding of the bust during the performance of the sport, comprising a pocket able to receive a relatively flat drink reservoir, with a rectangular shape overall and a capacity of 1 to 2 litres, integrated in said back wall so that the pocket is held pressed against the back during the performance of the sport.
 2. A brassiere according to claim 1, wherein said pocket comprises a reservoir with a width of approximately 15-16 cm, and a height of approximately 25 to 30 cm, and whose thickness is a few centimetres.
 3. A brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the reservoirs comprises flexible material.
 4. A brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the pocket comprises an insulating sheet interposed between the reservoir and the back wall.
 5. A brassiere according to claim 1 comprising a wall attached opposite an area of the back wall and fixed laterally to said back wall in order to cooperate with said area in order to constitute said pocket.
 6. A brassiere according to claim 5, wherein said attached wall is fixed to the back wall by permanent or temporary connections.
 7. A brassiere according to claim 5, wherein the back wall and attached wall comprise bottom edges which are fixed to each other.
 8. A brassiere according to claim 5, wherein the attached wall has lateral edges fixed to the back wall.
 9. A brassiere according to claim 5, wherein said attached wall comprises elastomer material.
 10. A brassiere according to claim 5, comprising a reinforced bottom edge which goes around the bust, and wherein the attached wall has a bottom edge fixed to said reinforced bottom edge.
 11. A brassiere according to claim 1, wherein said pocket is an independent pocket attached to the back wall.
 12. A brassiere according to claim 11, wherein the pocket comprises an elastic material.
 13. A brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the pocket comprises a gusset.
 14. A brassiere according to claim 1, without reinforcements, with flat stitches and wide straps.
 15. A brassiere according to claim 1, comprising an openable closure which passes between the cups of the brassiere for closing the front of said brassiere.
 16. A brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises an outlet tube provided with a mouthpiece accessible to the sportsperson during the sport.
 17. A brassiere according to claim 16, wherein the outlet tube passes over a strap of the brassiere and under a band fixed to said strap. 